None.
This invention pertains generally to power boilers, and specifically concerns apparatus that is particularly useful in connection with the maintenance removal of selected boiler tubes from being installed in a boiler drum wall as for subsequent replacement.
The removal of water-tubes and fire-tubes from within power boilers for subsequent replacement using a tube-end gap-cutting tool of the type disclosed and claimed in U.S. Letters Patent No. 5,893,209 granted to Weeks et al. results in an intermediate-stage boiler tube flared-end segment that although having a pair of longitudinal grooves such grooves do not extend completely through the tube end wall material and the longitudinally-machined tube segment remains retained in the co-operating boiler drum wall. Such occurs because of a requirement to not cut into or otherwise damage drum wall metal. I have discovered that removal of the retained and grooved boiler tube flared-end segment may be accomplished manually by use of a hammer-driven novel hand-held tool that functions, by a shearing and bending action to xe2x80x9cpeelxe2x80x9d tube-end wall metal positioned between the spaced-apart machined longitudinal grooves in the tube end segment completely away from the boiler drum wall and without causing wall damage.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the descriptions, drawings, and claims which follow.
The present invention is basically comprised of a guide element and a manually-driven peeler element that removably co-operates with the invention guide element.
The invention guide element has a longitudinally-slotted barrel section that slidably co-operates with the interior surface of a longitudinally-grooved boiler tube end segment from which gap metal is to be peeled by shearing and bending, has an integral end section with a peeler entrance opening, and has an intermediate stop provided with a tool insertion registration opening. The invention peeler element has an elongated peeler section that slidably co-operates with the guide element peeler entrance opening, the guide element stop insertion registration opening, and the guide element longitudinal slot, that has a curved shear-and-bend end face, and a drive-head section joined to the peeler section away from the peeler section shear-and-bend end face.